ROCKFORD — A new campaign launched Tuesday morning to build public support for a referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot that would allow the Rockford School Board to build two schools.

“If we want people to come to Rockford to live, to work and to play, we need a strong educational system,” said the Rev. Ken Board, senior pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church, during a news conference at the Discovery Center.

The Better Schools Brighter Future campaign is built around the Rockford School District’s referendum, aimed at authorizing the School Board to reallocate $139 million from the Capital Projects Fund to build two schools that will “better reflect 21st century learning,” said Bill Gorski, president and CEO of SwedishAmerican Health System.

The money is already set aside for the improvement of existing school buildings, and the referendum would not result in a tax increase for property owners, Gorski said.

A committee of community advocates, co-chaired by Rockford University President Robert Head and Gorski, plan to attend neighborhood, business and networking group meetings to discuss the referendum.

Gorski said that Better Schools Brighter Future will focus heavily on proactive community outreach but did not go into detail regarding future events.